Folding receptacle.



F. LMBARDI.

FOLDING RBCEPTACLE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 3,1913.

1 ,127,046. Patenten Feb. 2, 1915.

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FOLDING REGEPTAGLB.

APPLICATION FILED IIAY3,1913.

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEICE.

FRANCESCO LOMBARDI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING RECEPTACLE.

Application -led May 3, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, F nANCEsCo LOMBARDI, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

The general object of the invention is to refine the construction of receptacles such as trunks, in point of adapting these receptacles to occupy a minimum of storage space when relieved of their contents and not in use. And to this end the invention resides in so connecting the sides and ends to the bottom of the receptacle and the top to one of the sides, as to admit of folding these several parts one upon the other, whereby, to contract the height of the receptacle when folded, to correspond approximately to the combined thicknesses of its several parts.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of the receptacle showing the several ,parts thereof folded. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section with the parts unfolded or in set-up position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts folded. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on the line H of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one part of the fastening device for connecting the top to the rear side wall. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of the other part of said fastening device. Fig. 7 is a detail section of one of the fastening devices for detachably securing together the side and end walls. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of a supplemental or modified form of fastener.

The receptacle comprises a bottom 5, end walls 6 and 7, side walls 8 and 9 and a top or cover 10. These several parts are so connected as to admit of their being folded one upon the other, from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 to those shown in Figs. 1 and 3. An ideal arrangement for effecting this result is shown in the drawings, but it must be understood that this is simply illustrative and the dispositions of the several parts may be varied and the same result obtained without departing from the spirit of the in- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

serial No. 765,289.

vention. .ln carrying out my principle with the embodiment shown, hinges 11-11 are emploved for connecting the end walls 6 and 7 to the bottom 5, and these hinges are disposed so as to admit of the said end walls folding inwardly upon the bottom from the vertical position. shown in Fig. 2. Hinges 12-12 disposed so as to functionsimilar to the hinges 11-11 are employed for connecting the side walls 8 and 9 to battens 13 and 14, which are suitably secured to the inner face of the bottom 5. These battens 13 and 14 are different from each other in point of height and so too, are the side walls 8 and 9, but the variation in height between the side walls is compensated for by connecting the shorter side wall to the higher batten. whereby to have the upper edges of the side walls coincident with each other' and those of the end Walls when all of said Walls are unfolded, as shown in F igs. 2 and 4. By virtue of the variation in height between the battens 13 and 14 the side walls 8 and 9 are permitted to fold one upon the other, as shown in Fig. 3.

Straps 15-15 arranged on the inner face of the cover and disposed transversely thereof and located adjacent to the opposite ends of the cover, are terminally provided with opposed hooks 16-16 which take guideways 17--17 in the rear side Wall 9. The guideways are formed by grooving the side wall in the direction of its width, such grooves being arranged in spaced pairs adjacent to the opposite ends of the side walls and partly overhung by the marginal portions of straps, one of which is shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 6 and indicated by 18. The presence of these straps prevent accidental disengagement of the cover from the lside wall 9 and the curved upper ends 19 of the straps cooperate with the hooks 16-16 to function as hinges I when the cover is raised and lowered and the parts in set up position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Casings 20 carrying spring-pressed bolts 21 are attached to the end walls 6 and 7 and disposed so as to have the engaging ends of the bolts normally projecting beyond the lateral edges of the ends. At points in the side walls 8 and 9 alining with the engaging ends of the bolts when the parts are in setup position, sockets 29. are formed, into which the engaging ends of the bolts pass under the action of their springs Q3 upon the turning of the end walls into set-up positions between the previously adjusted side l 'frame 24: when engaged by the clips 25 as shown in Figs. 2 and 1, reinforces the side walls and also the end wallsso as kto more elfectively withstand pressure from without.

Corner reinforcing devices in the form of angle straps 26 are secured to certain of the walls and 'arranged so as to surround the corner joints when the walls are in -set up position. Anadditional reinforcement against collapsing of the walls under exteriorpressure', is had by grooving the up per edges ofthe end walls and forming ribs 27 on the inner face of the cover to enter the grooves when the cover is closed.

A pocket for receiving the folded` side and end walls and the top is had by attaching strips 28 of suitable widths to the edges of the bottom 5 and attaching a keeper 29 to one of these strips so as to coact with the hasp 30 of the cover, admits of locking the several parts in their folded positions.

The parts ofthe receptacle are folded by raising the cover to avertical position and allowing it to descend over the outer face of the rear side wall 9', then ldisengaging the fastening devices from the side Walls in or-v der to allow the folding inwardly upon the bottom,of ,the end walls. This done, the front sidewall is folded over the end walls,

top may be folded over the front side wall, in which position the top will occupy" the position shown in Fig. l and the several parts folded within the space afforded by the pocket.

If desired, suitable locks 31-31 maybe attached to the keepers 29 as shown in Fig. l. In setting up the parts of the receptacle, the foregoing operation of the several parts is reversed.

AWhat is claimed as new is:v i.

In a ,folding receptacle a lside wall, straps disposed transversely upon said wall, said side 'wa-ll having grooves over which the edge portions of said straps extend, a top adapted to lmove along the outer surface of said wall, hooks carried by the-top and engageable under the edge portions of said straps and received within the grooves and means located at the ends of the straps for limiting the movement of the hooks and top.

vIn testimony whereof I aiiiX mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCESC/o LOMBARDI.

Vitness'es': y

M. E. LAUGHLIN, WV. E. LAWSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner f Patents.

Washington. D. C.

--a-fter which the rear side wall carrying the 35 

